electrical engineer

Discuss electrical engineer in the Electrical Engineering Chat area at ElectriciansForums.net

R

robbalaar86

Hi guys

I went for an interview last week to train as an electrical engineer in a factory.

Now I've never worked in that environment and I was honest that most of my work had come on new builds and re-wires with a new build hospital and warehouses thrown in so a mixed bag. Lacking on the industrial side though.

What I want to know is where can I find some decent info about plcs and this side of the industry. I want to learn more about the day to day life of an engineer in a factory.

I got a call back from the job and they were impressed with my attitude and desire to move forward with my existing qualifications, so they asked me to go in and see the factory working.

I'm thinking they may get me to do some fault finding for them? Or will they just show me around.

Sorry if this is on no interest to anybody just really want this job.

Cheers for your thoughts lads.
 
grab it with both hands. they should know your limits and expect to train you up for whatever you need to do. damn sight better work than house bashing. jobs take as long as they take, no buggering about with other trades to work round.
 
First question, what does the factory make?

PLC's can range from small stand alone machines with a few inouts/outputs to multi-PLC's networked together. Modern ones tend to use remote I/O modules connected via Profibus etc. with some sort of HMI to allow interaction/fault finding etc. control side tends to be 24VDC. Depending on size of installation, there may be a SCADA system.
 
Thanks tel if they offer me it I am going to jump at the chance.

Robot they make rubber and plastic components if that helps? I'm going to see the factory operating so I hope to learn more about their machines from my visit
 
We have PLC's systems in place just as Robotstar has described. My company is putting me through a PLC programme course in the forthcoming months so if you haven't got any further forward with it by then mate ill let you know how it went and if it is of benefit.
 
robbalaar86 said:
Thanks tel if they offer me it I am going to jump at the chance.

Robot they make rubber and plastic components if that helps? I'm going to see the factory operating so I hope to learn more about their machines from my visit
Click to expand...

Plastic and rubber eh !!
Don't bend down in the showers mate you might end up as a guinea pig for their products:cry_smile:
 
My apprenticeship was as an electrical engineer qualified to HNC level, along with 12 years working in factories after that. I have to say, contrary to what others would say, I wouldn't go back to it. I worked for a few large companies with great holiday pay, pensions and sick pay, as well as a massive salary. The reason I left industry was that I got sick of the corporate politics, the crazy shift patterns and the general monotony of being in the same place day after day. I'm sure it suits a lot of people, but I got to the stage where I wanted more flexibility and a change of scenery.
I went on numerous PLC courses, along with training for every other conceivable piece of gear in the place, and it's only by working on the various PLC's, along with the software they use, that you'll really get to understand how they work. You will probably be asked to demonstrate some degree of fault-finding as part of the interview process, either on a machine or simply from circuit diagrams, and this is something most electrical engineers will train for as part of their 4 year apprenticeship. That said, if they know that you come from an installation background, they may well go easy on you.
Sorry if I'm sounding all doom and gloom, but industry isn't the great place to be that it used to be, whatever it may appear to be from the outside to those who've never experienced it.
I wish you the best of luck :)
 
Last edited:
Hi Rob,
I went down the same road as what it sounds like you are heading. Done an installation electrician apprenticeship and then went working in industrial maintenance.
I was lucky that I could do the ONC and then the HNC. These were very useful. I found that there was always the opportunity to learn new stuff. Also having both the installation
apprenticeship coupled with the maintenance experience will give you more opportunities in the future. But as guitarist says, shift work can be a right pain, and the reason why I left.
But the experience has proved invaluable and ended up working as a software engineer for a while.
 
babylonsBurning said:
Hi Rob,
I went down the same road as what it sounds like you are heading. Done an installation electrician apprenticeship and then went working in industrial maintenance.
I was lucky that I could do the ONC and then the HNC. These were very useful. I found that there was always the opportunity to learn new stuff. Also having both the installation
apprenticeship coupled with the maintenance experience will give you more opportunities in the future. But as guitarist says, shift work can be a right pain, and the reason why I left.
But the experience has proved invaluable and ended up working as a software engineer for a while.
Click to expand...

Agree, loads of great experience in areas many electricians don't even know exist, but there is a reason that Companies are now taking on people from a non-engineering background, and that's because many of us had just had enough, and left industry all together. Not that anyone really notices or cares...
 
I enjoyed shift work. You have to make decisions on the spot that can be stressful when the plant manager is doing a war dance. Be ready to carry the can for things going wrong, the fact it wasn’t you’re fault has nothing to do with it.
PLC courses can only give you the basics. It’s up to you to learn the systems on the plant. You need to learn the process inside out, you can’t fix something when you don’t know how it’s supposed to work. Towards the end of my career I spent 50% of my time doing PLC programming ably hindered by a lunatic production development engineer.
“Tony I want to try XXXX.”
“It won’t work!”
“We’ll try it anyway.” (Never did work out where “WE” came from.)
Crunch, bang, oops, Oh Bugger. “It was YOUR idea! You carry the can.” He always did.
Between us we increased production by 20%. And had fun doing it.

I did get to see things from the other side, as production manager. I must have been a swine to work for. The maintenance gangs hated me.

I’m retired now through ill health. Do I miss it, hell YES!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
robbalaar86 said:
Robot they make rubber and plastic components if that helps? I'm going to see the factory operating so I hope to learn more about their machines from my visit
Click to expand...

The type of process will normally dictate the way it is controlled. A number of machines with materials moved between them will allow a part of the process to stop (breakdown, PPM etc.) and can be run with individual PLC's, although they may be networked for process monitoring, logistics etc. But a continuous process cannot afford a partial stoppage, e.g. an automotive paint plant (spent a couple of years in one!) a breakdown can quickly run into £000's so will be robustly controlled even to duplicate PLC's running in parallel (hot standby)
 
images
Yea Tony use to work ata boxer short factory - before every tea break the "war Dance" orchestrated by the Pant manage was compulsory.
 
Thanks guys the insight helps as much as any info :) the way I'm looking at it is that I'm stuck in a maintenance job for little over minimum wage and I have a chance to earn more (helps with a 6 month old haha) and learn something.

It's something I want to try and appreciate it may not be as good as it used to be but it must be better than a basic maintenance job?

Thanks guys
 
wade88 said:
images
Yea Tony use to work ata boxer short factory - before every tea break the "war Dance" orchestrated by the Pant manage was compulsory.
Click to expand...

I wouldn’t be seen dead at a works party like that! Where are the Tesla electro wands, the whips and the rack? Mistresses clad in rubber and plastic? 200micron pure plastic is so much better than PVC.
I spent years running clubs you could only (wet) dream about. All (just) legal before you try to twist things.

All the while I was doing that, I was keeping the wheels of industry turning.
 
Rob, grap the oppertunity with both hands. It's going to be tough to start, as you gain experience then it gets to be 2nd nature.

One tip I will give:
Get the plant opperators on side. They can make you're life hell or easy. Fred has worked on that machine for years, he knows how it works. His help is worth it's weight in gold, upset him, then god help you!
You will get the lead swingers, you'll soon find them. "It won't do XXXX." I had to learn how to run an eight colour printing press to catch one of the lead swingers out. He could get the press to break down to order, he made my life hell until I started the press up on my own. Pitty my eyesight is crap. he had to explain over 100 metres of out of register material.
 
Agree with Tony, the guys who've run the machines will generally know just by sound when something isn't right. On the other hand, there will be a few "know-it-alls" who you will have to assert your authority over, otherwise they will walk all over you and make your life hell. If you're successful, keep your head down for a few weeks while you discover which is which.
Also, during the walk around the factory, be really polite to everyone you meet, as often the manager will go and chat to everyone who met you, to get an idea of how you behaved.
 
rmc86uk said:
Are these operators the same as minimim wage plant pots who just load wood in a machine?
Click to expand...

As with everything, you get good and bad. I've worked with some who were worth their weight in spuds, and others who, when they rang the workshop with a fault, would make your shoulders slump.
 
rmc86uk said:
Are these operators the same as minimim wage plant pots who just load wood in a machine?
Click to expand...

I’ve worked mainly in automated foundries and chemical plants, some of the operators were just a couple of steps down the pay scale from me. They had to know their job and the plant inside out. Get things wrong, death and destruction will follow.
 
Tony said:
I’ve worked mainly in automated foundries and chemical plants, some of the operators were just a couple of steps down the pay scale from me. They had to know their job and the plant inside out. Get things wrong, death and destruction will follow.
Click to expand...
and it follows Tony...
that the first people who should be asked if a fault develops on plant/machinery should be...yep...the operators
 
Shut up whinging you bunch of numb nuts.
99% of you woudn't get past the First year!

Slag graduates as much as you like, the ONE thing you do learn is the ability to think and find out things for self!
 

Reply to electrical engineer in the Electrical Engineering Chat area at ElectriciansForums.net

Similar Threads

Tech732
What's the best way to learn Electrical engineering?
Hi everyone I work as an electrician in industrial facilities, and I have been studying mechanical engineering for a long time, but I would like...
Replies
1
Views
503
AngelLaHash
AngelLaHash
J
BTEC Level 4 HNC Diploma in Electrical & Electronic Engineering
I start my BTEC Level 4 HNC Diploma in Electrical & Electronic Engineering in the new year, what book do you recommend to get to help me with my...
Replies
1
Views
682
Lou
Lou
B
What is life as an electrical engineer?
Good day, I am an electrical engineering student in my second year, second semester. I am suppose to take an internship in June 2023. I feel like...
Replies
4
Views
933
James
James
I
Seeking advice on getting side jobs as an Electrical Engineer for Buildings
I am an experienced electrical engineer consultant in building services, and I am looking to expand my professional horizons by taking on side...
Replies
0
Views
709
ibra123
I
J
Advice for the next step
Hi guys I’m at one of the funny times in my career where I can’t decide on what I want to do. I’m wondering if one of you experiences folks can...
Replies
0
Views
235
Jako13!
J

OFFICIAL SPONSORS

Electrical Goods - Electrical Tools - Brand Names Electrician Courses Green Electrical Goods PCB Way Electrical Goods - Electrical Tools - Brand Names Pushfit Wire Connectors Electric Underfloor Heating Electrician Courses
These Official Forum Sponsors May Provide Discounts to Regular Forum Members - If you would like to sponsor us then CLICK HERE and post a thread with who you are, and we'll send you some stats etc

YOUR Unread Posts

Tags

advice aus cable circuit course earth electric electrical electrician hello led light lighting lights looking new please question rcd socket supply switch testing training wiring
This website was designed, optimised and is hosted by untold.media Operating under the name Untold Media since 2001.
Back
Top
AdBlock Detected

We get it, advertisements are annoying!

Sure, ad-blocking software does a great job at blocking ads, but it also blocks useful features of our website. For the best site experience please disable your AdBlocker.

I've Disabled AdBlock